Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Nymphalidae Genus: Vanessa Species: kershawi

This butterfly is Australia's representative

of the Painted Lady group of butterflies,

widespread in other parts of the world

and notable for their long distance

migrations. The Australian Painted Lady

is capable of flying to New Zealand.

During a large migration in Victoria in

1889, it was abundant enough to darken

the sky in some areas, and shop windows

in Melbourne trapped many specimens.

In the countryside, every footstep

disturbed butterflies, and trains could not

proceed because butterflies resting on the

rail tracks prevented locomotives from

acquiring sufficient traction

Description

Wingspan: male 43 mm; female 47 mm.

Upperside: Both sexes have distinctive

black and pinkish-orange markings, with

a row of four small hindwing upperside

black spots, three of which have blue

centres. Differs from the similar sized

Meadow Argus Junonia villida in lacking

large blue centred ocelli on the wing

uppersides, and from the Australian

Admiral Vanessa itea by lacking the

large yellow patch in the forewing. The

sexes are difficult to distinguish, but can

sometimes be differentiated by the more

rounded outer edges to the wings in the

female.

Distribution

Throughout South Australia and Kangaroo

Island, extending to all

other sub-tropical and

temperate parts of

Australia and

Tasmania, and also

including the

neighbouring islands

of Cocos-Keeling,

Australian Painted Lady

Flinders, Lord Howe, Norfolk and New

Zealand.

Larval Foodplants

Numerous native and introduced annual

herbs and ornamental plants, mostly of

the Compositae/ Asteraceae family,

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION SA Inc. C/- SA MUSEUM, North Terrace,, ADELAIDE 5000 S.AUSTRALIA

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All Photos R.H Fisher

including Ammobium alatum (paper daisy),

Arctotheca calendula (cape weed), Bractean-

tha bracteata (strawflower), Calocephalus

platycephalus (billybuttons), Chrysocephalum

apiculatum (common everlasting). C. semi-

papposum (yellow buttons), Gamochaeta

spicata (spiked cudweed), Gnaphalium spe-

cies (cudweeds), Leucochrysum species

(sunrays), Rhodanthe chlorocephala rosea

(western sunray. The larvae usually eat the

leaves of the foodplant, but will also eat the

flowers and softer green stems if they are

hungry enough.

Habitat and Ecology

A sedentary or migratory species. Due to its

migratory tendencies the Australian Painted

Lady can be found in most habitats. It is

generally common wherever its larval food-

plants are in growth. In South Australia, large

numbers of the butterfly are produced in the

warmer northern pastoral areas after rain when

their foodplant grows prolifically. Small

numbers of the butterfly regularly appear in

urban Adelaide during early spring probably

as a result of small migrations from the

pastoral areas. Migrations are mainly in a

southerly direction during spring, with a lesser

northerly migration reported for autumn. One

spring migration in the eastern states of

Australia lasted for eight weeks on a 600 km

front. The larvae construct webbed shelters to

hide in. The pupae are a metallic copper or

gold colour.

Flight Period

Threats

There are no major threats to the Australian

Painted Lady at present. It is probable,

however, that migratory numbers have

decreased in recent times due to loss of

breeding habitat as a result of overgrazing

by domestic stock and feral rabbits, aerial

spraying of locusts, and the use of vast inland

areas for irrigation (particularly cotton).

Conservation

No action presently required, and it

will thrive in urban gardens.

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION SA Inc. C/- SA MUSEUM North Terrace, ADELAIDE. 5000 S.AUSTRALIA

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION SA Inc. FACT SHEET 14

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION SA Inc. is a noN-profit organisation comprised of indi-viduals interested in the conservation of but-terflies and their habitats. Anyone may join. Membership is $10 per an-num payable on 1st July each year. Several newsletters are produced each year . Newsletter articles promote the conservation of butterflies and include information on how you can help to preserve their native habitat.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Roger Grund, Mike Moore, John Hunwick, Lindsay Hunt, Robert Fisher, David Keane, Marcus Pickett and Jan Forrest

Photo: Roger Grund

Host plant common everlasting Chrysocephalum apiculatum.